


Christmas Tree Shopping

by spowell Once and Future Series (SPowell)



Series: Once and Future [39]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Christmas Time, Derogatory Language, Fluff, Homophobic Language, M/M, bottom!Merlin, post-canon AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-21
Updated: 2014-12-21
Packaged: 2018-03-02 17:45:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2820809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SPowell/pseuds/spowell%20Once%20and%20Future%20Series
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur and Merlin pick a tree.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmas Tree Shopping

**Author's Note:**

> I needed to write a little fluff and love to balance out all the smut and darkness in my other fic!

“These trees are all cut already,” Arthur says, surveying the lot.

“They cut them for us so all we have to do is choose.”

“Isn’t it part of Christmas to go cut a tree oneself?” Arthur asks.

“Oh, as though you ever cut one yourself! The servants did it, and speaking as one of those servants, I can tell you it wasn’t any fun. How about this one?” Merlin points to a Fraser Fir.

“Too small.”

“Not for our flat.”

Arthur looks it over. “There’s a bare spot there.”

They move on to another. And another. And another; Arthur finding something wrong with each of them.

“That does it,” Merlin finally says. “We’re getting this one.” He grabs hold of a Scotch Pine and calls over one of the attendants.

“Is this how you always get your Christmas tree, Merlin?” Arthur asks.

“I haven’t had that many of them, to be honest.”

Arthur studies Merlin’s face, detecting a note of sadness in his tone. He pulls Merlin closer. “This is going to be a wonderful Christmas, Merlin, even with that scrawny excuse for a tree.”

Merlin grins, cheeks flushing in a way that makes Arthur’s heart beat faster in his chest. After only spitting a few flakes all day long, the blanket of thick grey clouds finally lets go and it begins snowing hard, coating Merlin’s dark hair and settling on his eyelashes. The lot is criss-crossed with coloured lights, and every breath Arthur takes through his nose burns from the cold. He suddenly feels more love in his heart for the man in front of him than he ever thought it possible to feel.

Christmas songs have been playing over a speaker, and now a woman croons something about all the years going by and still being the one by your side. It’s incredibly sappy, and it makes Arthur want to squeeze Merlin tightly to him and never let go. As the attendant gets their tree ready to tie to the top of the Volkswagen, Arthur steps even closer to Merlin.

“What are you doing?” Merlin asks, surprise in his eyes.

“Dancing, you numbskull, what do you think?” He presses their cheeks together. “Now quit struggling.” Arthur sways to the music, one arm tightly around Merlin’s waist and the other holding his hand.

“Here?”

“It’s as good a place as any.”

Merlin tucks his face into Arthur’s neck, and Arthur feels him smile. “People are looking.”

“Let them look.”

Arthur continues to sway to the music, turning about in circles, humming a bit of the song into one of Merlin’s ridiculously beautiful ears.

“You’re a hopeless romantic,” Merlin says, leaning back and looking into Arthur’s eyes. “I love you.”

Arthur is seriously thinking about kissing Merlin’s deliciously plump lips when a harsh, male voice says from behind them, “This is what happens when we give homos the right to marry.” There’s a chuckle from someone else, and Arthur looks over his shoulder to see a large, bearded man with a face like a shovel standing with a couple of his mates, disgust written all over their faces.

He feels Merlin stiffen in his arms.

“Get a room, faggots,” the man says. “This is a family-oriented place.”

Arthur pulls back from Merlin’s embrace. “We’re only dancing, and there’s no need to be rude.”

“Well nobody wants to see two poofs dancing,” one of the other men says. “Right, Ed?”

“That’s right,” the first man says. “And I’ll call you any name I want, you shirt-lifting pillow-biter.”

Arthur takes in a deep breath, and Merlin grasps his hand, obviously trying to communicate that Arthur should ignore it; but Arthur can’t.

“I think it’s sweet,” a lady says. “There should be more romance in the world.”

“Between men and women, maybe,” the man called Ed says. “Not between pole-smokers like these two.”

The woman just rolls her eyes and goes back to looking at trees.

Arthur bristles at the continued use of derogatory terms. He doesn’t fully understand them and thinks he’ll have to ask Merlin to explain later, but the man’s ill intent is clear.

“I’d rather go for men than barnyard animals," Arthur says clearly, "which, judging by the looks of you, is more to your taste.”

Several people around them laugh, including the woman who’d spoken up before.

Ed growls and leaps forward, fist pulled back, but Arthur’s ready for him; he easily side-steps the blow, tripping the man with a kick of his foot. Ed goes sprawling on the ground but quickly gets back to his feet.

“Fuck you, you fudge-packer!” Ed leaps for Arthur, and Arthur grabs him, adroitly putting him in a stronghold, arm painfully twisted behind his back.

“Apologize to these nice families for your dirty mouth and lack of social graces,” Arthur says quietly into Ed’s ear, “and maybe I won’t break your arm.”

Ed grunts and struggles, but Arthur’s practiced this hold many times with his knights, and the movements only bring pain. Face beet red with anger, Ed relents.

“Sorry for the language,” he mutters sullenly.

“And?” Arthur prompts. He’s pushing it, but he’s angry.

“And…for my behaviour.”

Arthur shoves the man away, and turns to stride toward the car, Merlin close behind.

“Arthur, I really think it’s better to ignore people like that,” Merlin says when they’re on their way home.

“I should be able to dance with the man I love when and where I want to.”

“In theory, yes, but the world is only now becoming more accepting of same sex relationships. We’ve only recently been granted the right to marry. We have to take things one step at a time.”

Arthur grunts. It’s unfair that he can’t show Merlin affection in public without being attacked for it. “The fact that gays are now allowed to get married underlines the need for tolerance. That ape of a man was completely out of line. We weren’t doing anything wrong.”

“You’re preaching to the choir—it’s just I hate the violence.”

At home, Arthur and Merlin carry the tree inside, leaving a trail of pine needles in their wake.

Aithusa comes out of the bedroom, sniffing curiously. It takes quite a while for Arthur to get the tree straight in its stand with Merlin directing, tell him it’s too far to the right or left, or leaning forwards or backwards. Merlin must sense Arthur losing his cool, because he finally pronounces it good enough, and Arthur tightens the screws at the base.

Merlin gets out the small, clear lights and he and Arthur become tangled in the strings as they move past one another, draping the strands over the branches.

“I’d like to pull off all your clothes and wind these around you,” Arthur says.

“Kinky,” Merlin smirks at him.

Arthur leers, and they have to take a break to snog on the sofa for a while, winding up with their clothes off and Merlin seated facing away from Arthur, leaning against him with Arthur’s cock deep inside Merlin’s arse.

“Oh, shit, oh fuck,” Merlin breathes as Arthur pushes in and out of him.

“My sentiments, exactly.” Arthur bites Merlin’s earlobe, and Merlin shivers.

Arthur reaches around and pumps Merlin’s erection, fingers moving over the soft flesh with something close to reverence. Merlin feels amazing in Arthur’s arms, and the sounds he makes draw Arthur’s balls into tight knots of desire. He can feel Merlin’s body tensing—orgasm approaching. Arthur speeds up his thrusts, letting sensation take over. The tingling starts in his legs, building in momentum as it centers in his balls before tightening his belly.

“Merlin…” he gasps, pumping wildly. Merlin’s body shudders.

“Fuck me, Arthur…oh, oh shit!” He clenches around Arthur’s cock.

“Oh God, yes,” Arthur rasps out as he comes.

They sit there for a while, Arthur’s cock softening inside Merlin’s body, and watch the lights twinkling on the tree.

“How about I cook us some dinner before we finish decorating?” Merlin says, hand softly skimming over Arthur’s arm.

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Arthur presses a kiss just under Merlin’s ear before releasing his hold and letting Merlin go.


End file.
